Shock and sadness.

That was Yarmouth Mayor Pam Mood’s reaction to the permanent closure of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia Western Branch.

The board in Halifax announced Friday they would not be re-opening the branch, with money to be allocated for local and provincial programming.

Mayor Mood says there’s a lot of culture in the building on Main Street.

“Anything we lose regarding our culture is certainly a loss. It’s a loss to tourism too. Folks love to go in and see not only the arts, but the programming. I think that’s what hurts the most is the loss of local programming for youth,” said Mayor Mood.

She says she’s heard from local artists who are also disappointed in the decision.

“We’ve been hearing about this for the last 10 years, and hanging on tightly to what is a great piece in our community. We’ll certainly be having conversations about the future,” added Mood.

The province owns the building, it will still serve as a Visitor Information Centre.

No employees are affected by the closure.

The Western branch became a seasonal location in 2020, after being open year-round since 2006.